Abstract: A vehicle seating system is provided in which infrared rays radiated from a surface of a thermal radiation member at the time of heating are emitted to a bodily portion of an occupant which extends from his or her head to shoulders for implementation of effective heading. In a case of a planar heating element 2 being installed above a side windowpane, the planar heating element 2 is installed so as to confront an upper body of an occupant who is seated in a seat which extends from his or her head to shoulders, and when the planar heating element 2 is energized, an upper body of the front-seat occupant can be warmed by radiation heat. In a case of a planar heating element 3 being installed in a center pillar portion, when the planar heating element 3 is energized, the upper body of the front-seat occupant can be warmed by radiation heat.

Abstract: The present invention further improves operability related to setting the position and size of a focus detection region. An image capturing apparatus of the invention is provided with an image sensor that photo-electrically converts an object image formed by an optical lens, a focus detection unit that detects the focus state of the object image using an image signal from a focus detection region that is a region that is a portion within a frame of the image sensor, a setting unit that sets one focus detection mode from among a plurality of focus detection modes in which the size and position of the focus detection region within the frame differ, and a storage unit that stores a focus detection region size and position for each of the plurality of focus detection modes.

Abstract: Gas resistance of an image is evaluated by placing the image in a mixed gas atmosphere containing at least ozone and nitrogen dioxide. The mixed gas atmosphere is controlled such that the concentrations of ozone and nitrogen dioxide are not less than 75 ppb and not less than 150 ppb, respectively, and the mixed gas is continuously supplied to the surface of a sample bearing the image at a flow rate not less than 0.2 m/s and not more than 3.0 m/s.

Abstract: Conventionally, an electrolyte composition made from a conductive polymer and an ionic liquid possibly has poor durability (particularly impedance characteristics) in a case where the electrolyte composition is used in a conductive polymer capacitor. The present invention provides an electrolyte composition having excellent durability, by using an ionic liquid that includes carboxylic acid as its anion component. Moreover, the carboxylic acid is preferably one which includes a hydroxyl group, or is preferably an amino acid. Moreover, the electrolyte composition is preferably made of (A) a polymer component of a conductive polymer and (B) an ionic liquid. Moreover, the electrolyte composition preferably includes an ammonium salt, an amine salt, a quaternary ammonium salt or like salts.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus that includes a receiving unit configured to receive instructions for focus adjustment; an image-pickup unit configured to perform image-pickup of an object image input through a focus lens; a setting unit configured to set a focus detecting area to be used at a time of detection of a focus state of the focus lens; a light control unit configured to control an amount of light incident on the image-pickup unit; and a focus adjusting unit configured to detect a focus signal representing the focus state in the focus detecting area to move the focus lens based on the focus signal and a position of the focus lens corresponding to the focus signal.

Abstract: When a seat heater and a planar electric heater on a surface of an interior member are used in parallel, the seat heater and the planar electric heater cannot be heated sufficiently due to a limitation on an electric capacity of a vehicle, and in particular, in a vehicle having good engine efficiency, heating of an interior of a passenger compartment by air conditioning utilizing hot air generated by heat expelled from an engine is not sufficient, whereby there sometimes occurs a situation where occupants feel cold. A heating device 2 is provided in a side door panel 1 of a vehicle and a seat heater is made to be heated mainly at an initial stage of heating after an occupant gets in the vehicle, whereas the heating device 2 is made to be heated after a predetermined period of time elapses, whereby the body of the occupant can be warmed quickly and efficiently without making the occupant feel cold physically.

Abstract: In an image sensing apparatus including an image sensing unit with an image sensor and an EVF, first image signals obtained every preset number of frames, of image signals output from the image sensing unit are displayed on the EVF, focus evaluation values indicating a focus state of an image are obtained from second image signals obtained in frames other than the frames for the first image signals of the image signals output from the image sensing unit, a direction of driving a focus lens for an in-focus state is determined on the basis of the obtained focus evaluation values, and the determined driving direction is displayed on the EVF. Further, the focus lens is moved for image sensing in the frames for the second image signals to carry out image sensing of the subject at different focus lens positions for each frame.

Abstract: An autofocus apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to capture an object image entered through a focus lens and output image data, a detection unit configured to detect a focus signal based on the image data, a focus adjustment unit configured to perform a focus adjusting operation for adjusting a position of the focus lens based on the detected focus signal, an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to a distance to an object, and a change unit configured to change at least one of a time interval, a movable range of the focus lens in acquiring the focus signal in the subsequent focus adjusting operation, and an amount of movement of the focus lens in acquiring the focus signal in the subsequent focus adjusting operation, according to the information relating to the distance to the object.

Abstract: An ink jet print head is provided which can print a high-quality image with no density variation-caused lines at high speed and which can be manufactured at low cost and with ease. For this purpose, the print head of this invention has a plurality of nozzle groups each having at least one nozzle array arranged in a predetermined array direction Y crossing a relative motion direction X. A distance in the relative motion direction between the nozzles in each nozzle group adjoining each other in the array direction Y is set almost equal to a distance in the relative motion direction between the nozzle groups adjoining each other in the array direction Y.

Abstract: The seating element has an electrically insulative substrate, a pair of electrodes disposed on the substrate, and a polymer resistor electrically connected to the electrodes. The polymer resistor includes resin composition cross-linked via one of oxygen atom and nitrogen atom, and at least one of fibrous conductor and flake-like conductor mixed in the resin composition.

Abstract: The present invention further improves operability related to setting the position and size of a focus detection region. An image capturing apparatus of the invention is provided with an image sensor that photo-electrically converts an object image formed by an optical lens, a focus detection unit that detects the focus state of the object image using an image signal from a focus detection region that is a region that is a portion within a frame of the image sensor, a setting unit that sets one focus detection mode from among a plurality of focus detection modes in which the size and position of the focus detection region within the frame differ, and a storage unit that stores a focus detection region size and position for each of the plurality of focus detection modes.

Abstract: An apparatus for inputting an image, includes a principal optical system on which a light beam corresponding to a single image is incident; light beam separating means for separating the light beam which passed through the principal optical system into a plurality of light beams; optical receiving and divided image group forming means for receiving the plurality of light beams, respectively, and forming divided image groups, each of said divided image group corresponding to the received light beams; and an image generating means for generating said single image by combining said divided image groups with one another. The single image is composed of the divided images. The number of the divided images is not less than that of the plurality of light beams. Each of the divided image groups has one or a plurality of divided images not adjacent to one another. The optical receiving and divided image forming means have imaging devices corresponding to the divided images, respectively.

Abstract: As a switch for detecting operation of a door handle, a contact joint switch, a capacitance type sensor, etc., is available, but involves problems of a contact failure caused by secular change and a malfunction caused by rain and is not excellent in a multifunctional property used for other applications. A contact detector of the invention includes support means (8) having a moving part displacing upon reception of contact; a cable-like piezoelectric sensor (4) having a part supported by the support means (8) and becoming deformed in conjunction with displacement of the moving part (8c); and signal processing means for performing signal processing of output of the cable-like piezoelectric sensor (8), wherein the cable-like piezoelectric sensor (8) has a bend part (4a) to form a plurality of simultaneous deformation parts and the simultaneous deformation parts become deformed in conjunction with the moving part (8c), whereby contact is detected.

Abstract: A challenge to be met by the present invention is to provide a vibration detection sensor which can be applied to various instruments or fields requiring accurate detection and measurement of vibration. A vibration detection sensor (100) has a substrate (2), and a cable-shaped piezoelectric element (1) connected directly to at least one end of the substrate. The cable-shaped piezoelectric element (1) has along a radial direction thereof a core electrode (3), a piezoelectric member (5) disposed around the core electrode, an outer electrode (7) disposed around the piezoelectric member, and a sheathing layer (9) disposed around the outer electrode.

Abstract: An image data management apparatus includes a unit adapted to display different types of plural frames (such as an in-focus frame and a face frame) at the same time in a manner capable of selectively changing both of those frames by a user operation such that an in-focus frame portion and a face frame portion can be easily confirmed.

Abstract: An image display control apparatus includes a determination unit (step S903) adapted to determine whether an image to be displayed is an image captured in a shooting mode in which at least one of focus adjustment, exposure control, white balance adjustment, and light control is executed on a range related to an object that is detected by an image analysis, a range determining unit (step S906) adapted to determine a range of part of the image based on information indicating a size of the detected object when the determination unit determines that the image to be displayed is the image captured in the shooting mode, and a display control unit (step S907) adapted to perform control to display the range of part of the image, which has been determined by the range determining unit.

Abstract: Gas resistance of an image is evaluated by placing the image in a mixed gas atmosphere containing at least ozone and nitrogen dioxide. The mixed gas atmosphere is controlled such that the concentrations of ozone and nitrogen dioxide are not less than 75 ppb and not less than 150 ppb, respectively, and the mixed gas is continuously supplied to the surface of a sample bearing the image at a flow rate not less than 0.2 m/s and not more than 3.0 m/s.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus and method, and an image-pickup control computer program, a photographing optical system is driven, when a plurality of objects are present at different distances in a same detection field of view for identifying an object to be focused, so as to be focused on each of the plurality of objects, and a photographing operation is performed at each position of the photographing optical system driven so as to be focused on each of the plurality of objects.

Abstract: A monitoring system for preventing crime in a home, includes a plurality of terminals for monitoring whether predetermined monitoring points are in a stationary or nonstationary state. Further, the monitoring system includes a central processing device for controlling the setting/canceling of alarm operations of the terminals. The central processing device has a communication unit that receives stationary/nonstationary information from the terminals and transmits predetermined information including commands to the terminals. Each terminal has a communication unit that transmits stationary/nonstationary information to the central processing device and receives the predetermined information from the central processing device. Thus bidirectional communication can be achieved between the central processing device and the terminals.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an autofocus method and apparatus capable of always performing proper focusing operation. To achieve this object, a control device drives a focus lens in accordance with the operation of an operation device, and stores the stop position of the focus lens. While the focus lens is driven within a predetermined range using the stop position as a reference, the control device stores an output from an extraction device in association with the position of the focus lens. The control device determines the focusing state of the focus lens from the output from the extraction device, and when determining from the determination result that the focus lens is incapable of focusing, drives the focus lens to the stop position.